1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, to the selection among IP services in a wireless communications system.
2. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, and broadcasts. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple-access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power). Examples of such multiple-access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single-carrier frequency divisional multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, and time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems.
In applications involving multiple processing devices, such as computers and the like, a suitable network is frequently used to exchange data. Associated with any communications network is set of access protocols that enable a communications path to be established between devices. Various access protocols have been standardized over time to allow an application in any processing device that supports a specific standard to communicate freely with an application in another processing device supporting the same standard.
One important access protocol is the Internet Protocol (IP) Suite (also referred to as TCP/IP), which has gained prominence in networks incorporating communication across a packet-switched network. As a part of this protocol, devices on the network are each assigned a unique IP address for identification.
Various network layer protocols exist within the IP Suite, some of which provide mobility. That is, a protocol that provides mobility allows an access terminal to maintain a network layer connection even while it changes location from an area serviced by one access gateway to an area serviced by another access gateway. For example, simple IP (IPv4 and IPv6) services do not provide mobility. On the other hand, client mobile IP and proxy mobile IP services provide mobility.
Certain network systems are capable of servicing access terminals with more than one network layer protocol. In these systems, there may be some difficulty in ascertaining which protocol to use for a particular access terminal. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that the signaling transmitted by an access terminal utilizing simple IP is identical to the signaling transmitted by an access terminal utilizing proxy mobile IP. For example, an access terminal may assume that proxy mobile IP, and thus, mobility, is available, and utilize simple IP signaling; while the network is not aware that the access terminal desired mobility, and provides a simple IP address.
Thus, there is a desire in the field for improved management of network layer protocols over IP networks.